The Court Building in downtown San Diego. File photo
Three men who local prosecutors say were part of an alien burglary ring that broke into homes in Carlsbad were sentenced Monday to life in state prison.
Prosecutors say the defendants, from Chile and Italy, entered the United States through the ESTA visa waiver program and operated much like other foreign thieves who target homes in wealthy areas.
San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephens said in a statement that the case was “part of a saga of crimes that plague our nation in which organized crime groups, often with criminal histories in their home countries, obtain visas to the United States and then use them to make stolen trips.”
In that case, police were called to a residence on Jan. 25 where they found a vehicle with stolen license plates, according to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office.
Police surrounded the home and saw the men flee from the house into a neighbor’s yard. The men were eventually arrested and discovered to be wanted for similar crimes in Illinois and Colorado, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Christian Tapia, 39, and Romai Araneda-Pozgi, 36, were sentenced to six years in prison, while Joe Acevedo, 20, was sentenced to four years in prison.
The three pleaded guilty last month to conspiracy to commit burglary, residential burglary, identity theft and resisting arrest.
“These criminals not only stole cash and valuables from their victims, they also stole the peace of mind of our communities,” Stephens said. “The message is clear: if organized crime groups come into San Diego County and commit crimes, they will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
City News Service contributed to this article.
